Chapter 1: Uninvited Guest

“A long day of work, isn’t it Michael?” asked one of the Watchers who stood tall, in front of the enormous gates of The Misgerdion Palace of The Royal City of Misgerdia. “Things have changed; the empire has expanded a lot in these few years, so have the people ruling it. I miss the good old days, when Watchers were glorious hunters; now reduced to only guard the palace and do community service in the name of Zeora! World is a crazy place these days Heworth.”, said Michael, the other Watcher who stood along the palace gates.

-“I thought so…. it was a long day of work afterall!”, laughed Heworth

-“How was your day?”

-“Same as usual, seeing birds, standing in the sun, feeling the wind… Quiet well actually.”

-“At least you were spared from doing the petty chore for distributing the new budget revenue for the supplies in the army dormitory. It’s worse to be in a corridor directing young insolent fools about economical management, when you know they won’t get a thing in their brains!”

-“Lucky me! Ha ha!” smiled Heworth, “Say, can I ask you something?”

-“Yes, of course.”

-“Zeora, do you believe she exists?”

-“That’s a very difficult question, lad. Zeora is our hope, our salvation, our punishment; and our renaissance. An entity, that can’t be questioned. No one knows if she exists or not. But as long as people have faith in her, the empire will have something to thrive for. It’s the only thing that gives the masses something to believe in, the sufferers to keep on living and the sinners to do no evil. Zeora doesn’t even need to quantify in terms of the living. If Zeora didn’t exist, then this world has no meaning. She’s the symbol of peace. ~ This, my boy, would’ve been an answer of any Watcher back in those days where we lived and died for rulers who were just and kind, but now if you ask me this, I would say Zeora is just an instrument that is being used to manipulate the image of the Kingdom into whatever those idiots with a crown on their heads wish to make. Faith, they call it…. fools like these have made a barrier in the name of Zeora; A barrier which prevents the poor from killing the rich, all in the name of faith! If this so called Goddess still exists, she wouldn’t have let these devils corrupt our land!”

-“So she isn’t real?”

-“Oh she’s real, alright! There are individuals who were blessed with the prophecies which were descended by Zeora herself.”

-“The prophecy of Azazel?”

-“Taking his name is forbidden.”

-“I was always told that, but no one answered why!”

-“Prophecy of Azazel, or to say, The Prophecy of the Defier….. Its better if someone more ……”. As Michael said these words, he was interrupted as he sensed a presence of some powerful force that was approaching towards them.

“Did you feel that?” asked Heworth, as he gazed upon the long shining stairs at the entrance of the Palace. A beautiful maiden wearing a glimmering white gown with edges and embroidery made of gold. Her irises were gold, as if they resembled the shining sun. Her hair was blonde, intertwined with golden and brown strands. Her beauty was unmatched to any other woman on the land, for she was not an ordinary woman. Michael realised who she was. She was Lt. Gen. Arimes zel Duertos,The commander of the Zenis regiment.

-“Hail Zeora!” by saying these words both Michael and Heworth bowed down to welcome the Lady of Honor. As she came near to the Watchers, Michael whispered…

-“My Lady, I apologize to interrupt, but by the order of the king no one is supposed to enter the palace without the consent by The Elders Great Council.”

As Michael said these words, he was terrified at the site of Lady Arimes. Well he had a good reason for it to. She was a Grand Archmage of I’riana.

Student of the renowned University of Dark Arts and War Alchemy of the I’rianian Kingdom and having graduated as a Master Archmage at the age of 17, Arimes zel Duertos was the youngest and the most talented Archmage of her era. She was then quickly recruited in the first Imperial regiment as a Commander in cheif of the Cura Medical regiment. This post was not held too long by her as she insisted that she is better off in the battlefield killing people rather than being a healer. Later on, she was transferred to the most lethally dangerous combat regiment of the Royal Army; The Zenis Regiment. The Zenis Regiment consisted of only 10 members who were given impossible tasks by The Elders Council and were highly classified missions. Arimes quickly climbed the ranks and became their leader in a time span of just 3 years. Although she had achieved her success through her sheer desire of war and her unrelentless hard work, very few knew that she was also the heir of the Royal Family of Duertos Zelberg. Though the Royal Family of Duertos Zelberg was one of the most integral parts of the legislation of the Kingdom of Mira, after the election of the Royal Family of Eldrich Volzeris as the next rulers of the Kingdom, the Duertos were appointed as the administrators of the military force of the Kingdom. For these reasons the Duertos family segregated and separated themselves to accommodate different regions of the Kingdom and their existence was kept under strict secrecy. Initially there were three brothers who were the current heirs of the Duertos family; – First was the Commander of the Necromancers, Warriors of the West; Morpheus zel Duertos, whose only daughter was Arimes. Second was the Commander of the Paladins, Warriors of the North; Maximus zel Duertos, who has two sons Reedus and Romulus. The third and the last was the Commander of the Watchers, Warriors of the East; Mobius zel Duertos, who didn’t bear any children. All of these Commanders together with their armies were denoted as “The Triad of Holocaust”, representing their deadly strength against their enemies. With a bloodline of such fatal Warlords, Arimes never experienced what it was to be a normal hume in this world. She had started training for Weapon Arts since the age of 7 and was trained to be a Master of War from her childhood by her father’s Secret cult; The Nephilim. The Nephilim was a near to extinct race which was spared by the Commander of the Necromancers; Morpheus zel Duertos, on one condition that they would swear their lives protecting his only daughter, Arimes.

Only the members of “The Triad of Holocaust” knew about the Commanders, their histories, their heirs and their families; as all the clans had taken oath to never harm or indulge in conflict with each other, no matter what the circumstances may arise.

And all of this was known to Michael Tesla, one of the senior most members of The Watchers, who was now appointed to guard of the Misgerdion Palace.

“I answer to no council. I see you’re a formidable Watcher. But my orders are concerning an investigation implemented by the Zenis Regiment. Let me pass.” ,replied Arimes with no emotions on her face as she blankly stared at Michael, with her hair covering half of her face.

Heworth raised his guard and questioned Michael, ”Is it normal for someone to enter the primary gates without the front squad escorting her?”

Michael looked at Heworth and replied, ”She doesn’t need one.”

He turned towards Arimes and replied, “I have my orders ma’am. I can’t let you through! But if you insist I’d ask the inner gates authority to deliver a message to the king that the Zenis Regiment would like to have a word.”

“Oh, so that’s how it goes, huh? Well then it was nice talking to you….”, as she said these words she stretched out her hand and faced her palm towards Michael’s head.

“Go to the front gates, tell them to lower the barrier of the stairs, then head straight home and Heworth…… keep the kettle burning tonight and take care of my sheep…” , said Michael as he knew it as his imminent doom to refuse an order from the Military Commander. Heworth walked forth terrified at what Michael had just said but all he could do was follow orders. And while he walked past Arimes he looked back at her and smiled..

“He eats sheep stew whenever he wins and I’ve cooked most them. None of them survived… I meant the sheep.” , said Heworth as he descended the steps.

Arimes was in shock, she had never heard such fearless words against her in her entire life. But it was justifiable, as Heworth knew that Michael was no ordinary Watcher. But never the less Arimes was ready to attack and charged up a bolt of lightning in her palm and then looked at Michael.

She was surprised to see that Michael did the same but his bolt was far greater than hers. He smiled. And then Arimes finally understood that it was a battle she couldn’t win.

Michael lowered his arm and accepted the outcome.

“Why drop your guard?”, asked Arimes.

Michael just said one thing as Arimes was ready to fire the bolt. “You should do the same… You might not be the part of the triad but still your ‘his’ daughter. I swear he’d kill me if I even laid a scratch on you. You are just as thick headed as your father.”

Arimes was shocked to hear this. “You knew him?”, as she lowered her arm as the lightning bolt dispersed.